Through the grapevine...

So before a game Barry Bonds approached John Olerud, who plays first base and chooses to wear a helmet (as apposed to a regular cap) while playing the field, and said to him something along the lines of – dude, you wear a helmet to play first, I used to play with a guy who wore a helmet at first base - wierd…to wit John responded by saying – yeah, I used to play with a guy named Bonds who had a much smaller head and was skinny and fast, weird huh…

Ok, I made that last part up, but the first part is true – apparently the human growth hormones are a detriment to long term memory…

Anyway – smart money says that Barry will retire sooner than later – I’m talking before this year’s all star break…it’ll be the best for baseball and the best for him…and he’s no doubt under a lot of pressure to shit (hit a bunch of home runs) or get off the pot (retire and disappear until it comes time for the Hall of Fame) from the Baseball Gods…

In other news – me and my major get along fabulously…probably the best working, professional relationship that I’ve ever had – RESPECT – both ways – a beautiful thing…anyway – we shoot the shit randomly throughout the day…from my stories about my young life, my fiascos within fantasy sports, or me giving her nonstop shit about George Mason beating the crap out of UNC in the tournament – we have a good time…

Meanwhile, she has a lot of college stories – she’s a University of North Carolina grad (probably one of the reasons we get along so well) – and she’s pissed me off more than once – whether it be her meeting and watching a game with the DEAN himself, Dean Smith, or the autographed picture of Roger Clemens that she randomly pulled out (he happens to be my baseball Jesus) or the stories of her husband playing pick up ball with Mike (yeah- that one)…anyway – the other afternoon we were in one of our sessions and she started in on a “have I told you this one before” stories…

(A bit of a prelude here – UNC (Dean Smith) has (had) a reputation as not only a school that would recruit and pull some of the best players in the country, but would graduate them as well…I’d say, percentage-wise, UNC (Dean Smith), had more than 90 to 97 percent leave Carolina with a degree…whether it be a regular four-year degree or a player left school to go to the NBA and then returned (in the off-season) and eventually graduated – basically he put degrees in these kids’ hands (taking care of the man and not just raping him for his basketball talent)…which is lovely…)

Now on with the show…

My major attended UNC during Marion Jones’ pre-steroid years, and while Rick Fox (real name Ulrich - seriously, look it up!) was there during his pre-shitlock hairdo days…anyway…so she goes on to tell me about how the Dean was able to ensure to so many degrees (which look GREAT to mothers of potential recruits)…he apparently had a “contract” or at least some sort of gentleman’s agreement between the players that if they left school early then he (“the university”) would get some percentage (something like 10% is what she said) of that player’s yearly contract until they graduated…talk about incentive…but the proof – as they say – is in the pudding…

While in her final year there, one of her friends who dated/knew Rick Fox, happened to see him on the campus during summer semester…what the hell are you doing back here was the obvious question and the nappy head himself spilled the beans and basically said I’ve gotta hurry up and get this degree so coach’ll stop takin’ my money…

Yet another reason why Dean Smith is a shining example of what college athletics should be about…or something like that…ha!